Method of drying material



Feb. 17, 1931. c. B. CARR METHOD OF DRYING MATERIAL Filed May 26, 1927 45 v 7 ing vessel as viewed from the left in Fig. 1.

Patented Feb. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES CHARLES BRADFORD CARE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK mn'rnon or DRYING MATERIAL Application filed May 26, 1927. Serial No. 194,331.

spool or coil form and the like, it is the practice in some instances to subject such ma-' terials to a quenching bath after annealing.

A certain amount of moisture necessarily becomes trapped between the wire convolutions, and if such materials are permitted to remain in this condition for an appreciable time before the subsequent winding thereof without removing the trapped moisture, a deleterious oxide coating may be formed in some instances. A thorough drying of materials after quenching will prevent any injurious corrosive efiects, and thus permit the storage thereof for future use for an extended period of time.

The primary 0b ect of this invention is to provide a simple and efficient method of drying moistened materials.

In accordance with the general features of the invention, a method may be practiced wherein spools or coils, for example, copper wire, after the quenching thereof may be placed within a closed chamber and the temperature of the wire raised by treating it withlive steam. After the temperature of the wire has been raised to a desired degree a vacuum is created within the chamber, which lowers the boiling point 'of the moisture trapped within the coil and the heat retained in the coil will cause the immediate vaporization of the moisture. The vapor condensate is drawn oif and the coil is thus thor-- v oughly dried.

These and from the followingdetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 discloses an elevational view of a drying apparatus which represents one meansby which the improved method may be eifectively racticed, and

Fig. 2 is a si e elevational view of the dry- Referring now tothe drawings wherein like numerals have been employed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be observed that a drying vesother objects will be apparent sel 10 is secured in position upon suitable supports 11. This vessel 10 is adapted to be opened at the forward side thereof by the reinoval of a cover member 12, a chamber 14 being provided within the vessel which is TENT POFFICE' designed to house a plurality of Wire spools 15 which may be placed in stacked relation therein as shown in Fig. 1. The cover member 12 may be secured in closedrelation with the vessel 10 by means of a plurality of pivotally sup-ported hand wheels 16, which are adapted to engage or clamp the margin of the cover member. A bracket 18 pivoted on the upper portion of the vessel 10 supports the cover member 12 through the medium of a link member 19, and it will be obvious that when the hand wheels 16 have been loosened and disengaged from the cover 12 said cover may be swung outwardly away from the drying, vessel. 1

.A pipe 20 terminates at one end within the upper rear portion of the chamber 14 in the vessel 10 and is connected at its opposite end with a steam supply (not shown). A suitable valve 21 serves to control the admission of steam into the chamber 14. Opening into the lower portion of the chamber 14 is a vertically positioned pipe 23 which is connected at its lower extremity with a conventional condenser tank 24, and a valve 25 is positioned immediately above said tank. This condenser tank 24 communicates with a condensate receivin tank 27 whichis provided with'a suitable rain pipe 28 having a check valve 29. The tank 27 is also connected by means of a pipe 31 with a suction pump 32 and a valve 33 is provided in the pipe line 31. An electric motor 35 drives the suction pump 32, and it will be clear that when the valves 25 and33 are open and the valves 21 and 29 closed the chamber 14 may be evacuated through the action of the suction pump. The check valve 29 is designed to close upon the actuation of the suction pump 32 and to permit the free flow of condensate from the tank 27 when the pump is not in operation.

In practicing the improved method of drying, spools of wire 15 or other materials of like nature are conveniently stacked within the chamber 14 after the cover member 12 vessel 10. The spools are stacked in spaced relation within the chamber to permit free i access thereto by steam, whichis subsequently admitted; After the spools have been stacked within the chamber the cover 12 is swung back into a closing position, and the hand wheels manipulated so as to completely seal the chamber 14. With the valve 25 closed the steam valve 21 is then opened and steam admitted withinthe chamber 14 until a desired pressure, as may be indicated by gauges 36, has been reached. 'It is decidedly advan tageous to admit the steam at the upper portion of the chamber 14 becausethe hot condensate from the upper coils will flow downwardly and serve to heat the coils immediately beneath, thereby greatly facilitating and accelerating the heating of the entire group of coils. The wire on the spools 15 rapidly absorbs the latent heat of the steam and quickly rises in temperature until the entire stacked group has been properly heated. vAs a result of the heat transferred from the steam to the wire, the wire temperature will eventually reach a point just below the boiling point of the liquid to be evaporated, and at thispoint enough additional steam-may be added to provide the necessary heat of evaporation at a predetermined vacuumto be subsequently supplied. After closing the steam valve 21, a vacuum is created within the chamber 14 through the action of the suction pump 32 upon opening valves 25 and 33, and any condensate present within the chamber will likewise be drawn downwardly into the condenser tank 24 and the tank 27. In practice it has been found desirable to create a vacuum of about 28 inches of mercury to obtain the most satisfactory results. Evacuating the chamber 14 in this manner causes the boiling point of the moisture carried between the convolutions of the wire on the spools to be lowered, and the heat retained by the wire will be sufficient to quickly cause the vaporization of the moisture which will be drawn from the chamber during the evacuation thereof. This vaporization will be effected without the use of superheated steam, it being only necessary to employ the latent heat contained within the saturated steam which may be only slightly higher in temperature than the wire when the vacuum is applied.

After the wire has been thoroughly dried in the manner just described, the valve. 25 may be closed and the cover 12 removed to permit the removal of the dried spools of wire and the introduction of another supply to be treated. This invention provides a very simple and expedient method of drying material, such as spools or coils of wire, cables and the like, without subjecting such materials to heat which would have any injurious effects upon such materials, and further precludes the necessity of employing superheated steam to raise the temperature of materials above the boiling point of the moisture to be evaporated. The invention is particularly applicable in connection with the-drying of copper wire, because it ermits of safely raising the temperature 0 the copper to a point which would cause, the oxidation thereof if such a temperature was reached under atmospheric conditions.

Although the invention has herein been described in connection with the treatment of wire spools, it is to be understood that the invention is capable of many other applications and is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. The method of drying a plurality of spools of previously water quenched wire which consists in stacking the spools in vertical relation, admitting saturated steam adjacent the top of the stack, thereb condensing the steam to release the heat 0 vaporization and causing the condensate to flow downwardly over the stack' and heat thesame, supplying an additional quantity of steam to replace the condensed steam, draining off the condensate and then creating a vacuum in the space surrounding the wire to cause vaporization of moisture from the surface of the wire. Y

2. The method of drying previously and purposely moistened coiled wire, which consists in placing coils of wire in stacked relation within a closed chamber, admitting saturated steam adjacent the upper portion of the stack to raise the temperature of the wire, condensing the steam on the wire coils to release the heat of vaporization, employing the hot condensate formed on the upper coils to heat the coils positioned therebeneath, ad-

.mitting additional steam to the chamber,

draining off the condensate and then lowering the boiling point of the moisture by, creating a vacuum within the chamber, thereby causing the vaporization of the moisture from the surface of the wire.

3. The method of drying previously quenched coils of wire, which consists in placing the coils of wire in stacked relation within a closed chamber before the temperature of the coils has fallen to room temperature, admitting saturated steam adjacent the upper portion of the stack to raisethe temperature of the wire, condensing the steam on the coils to release the heat of vaporiza tion, employing the hot condensate formed on the upper coils to heat the coils positioned therebeneath, draining off the condensate, and then lowering the boiling point of the moisture by creating a vacuum within the chamber, thereby causing the vaporizatio of the moisture from the surfaceof the wire.

4. The method of treating hot coils of w? e to prevent oxidation, which consists in quenching the coils in water to lower their temperature to a point'above room temperature, placing the coils of wire immediately after the quenching in stacked formation within a chamber, subjectin the coils to the action oflive steam to raise the tem er-f ature'of the coils, condensing the steam w1thin the chamber to release the heat of vaporization, employing the hot condensate formed on the upper coils to heat the coils positioned therebeneath, draining 0E the condensate, and then lowering the boiling point of the moisture remaining in the chamber by 4 creating a vacuum within the chamber thereby causing the vaporization of the moisture from the surface of the wire.

. 5. The method of treating coils of wire to prevent oxidation, which consists in uenching the coils in water, placing the coi s after quenching in a chamber, sub ecting the coils to the action of live steam'to raise the temperature of. the coils, condensing the steam within the chamber to release the heat of vaporization, employing I the hot condensate formed on the upper coils to heat the coils positioned therebeneath, draining ofi the condensate, and then lowering the boiling point of the moisture remaining in the c amber by creating avacuum within the chamber thereby causing the vaporization of the moisture from the surface of the wire.

6. The method of treatin hot coils of wire to prevent oxidation, w ich consists in quenching the coils in water, placing the coils after quenching in a chamber, introducing live steam into the chamber to raise the tem perature of the coils and to displace the air from the chamber, condensing the steam within the chamber to release the heat of vaporization, employing the hot condensalte formed on theupper coils to heat the coils positioned therebeneath, draining ofi the condensate, and then lowering the boilin point of the moisture remaining in the c amber by creating a vacuum within the chamber thereby causing the vaporization of the moisture from the surface of the wire.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14 day of May, A. D. 1927.

' CHARLES BRADFORD GARE. 

